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Lela Javakhishvili – Mariya Muzychuk
Women’s Grand Prix; third stage; Batumi, May 1, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D12

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. h3 Bh5 6. g4 Bg6 7. Ne5 Nbd7 8. Nxg6 hxg6 9. Bg2. Black’s position is sound and solid, but White has the Bishop pair, which can mean a slight plus. 9. ... g5!? It looks like a novelty, but, indeed, the copyright is by Viswanathan Anand: 9. ... e6 10. Nd2 g5 11. 0-0 Be7 12. Re1 Nf8 13. e4 Nxe4 14. Nxe4 dxe4 15. Rxe4 Ng6 16. Be3 0-0 17. d5 cxd5 18. cxd5 e5 (on 18. ... Qxd5 19. Qxd5 exd5 20. Ra4! White will win back the Pawn with an edge) 19. Qd2 a5 20. d6 (20. a3 Qd6 is unclear) 20. ... Qxd6 21. Qxd6 Bxd6 22. Bxg5 (22. Rd1 Be7 23. Rc4! was worth considering) 23. ... b5 (23. ... b6! is an even clearer claim for equality) 24. Rxe7 Nxe7 25. Rxe5 Rac8 23. Re2 b6 24. Rd1 Bc5 25. Be4 Nf4 26. Bxf4 exf4 27. Kg2 Rfd8 28. Red2 Rxd2 29. Rxd2 g5 30. Rd7 Re8 31. Kf3 Re7 32. Rxe7 ½ : ½ Giri – Anand, 3rd Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis 2015. 10. 0-0 e6 11. Nd2 Bd6. This is the substantial difference in respect of Anand’s game. Muzychuk allows her opponent to change the Knight for the Bishop. We wouldn’t call it a crazy idea, even though the whole world assumes that two Bishops are stronger than two Knights. But Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin no. 12. Re1 Nf8 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Nc4 Ng6 15. Qb3 Rb8 16. Nxd6+ Qxd6 17. Qa3

17. ... Qc7! This is a very interesting Pawn sacrifice which, however, will not be properly followed. 18. Qxa7 Kd7? It shows that Black was still envisioning a counter-attack based on the open h-file, with doubled Rooks and jumping Knights. It will turn out to be an error of bad judgement which could have costed Mariya Muzychuk very dearly. Now, despite any appearances to the contrary, 18. ... 0-0! is most likely the right idea, with ... f7-f5 soon coming. I cannot swear about it, but Black would seem to have adequate compensation for the Pawn. 19. Bd2! Rh6 20. Rac1! Rbh8 21. Ba5. White stands much better. Anyway in the following Lela Javakhishvili, just a bit in apprehension, preferred not risk losing and contented herself (and her opponent as well) with a draw by repetition. All’s well that ends well.

Lela Javakhishvili
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili